Scrubbing machine with cleaning attachment therefor



y 6, 1965 R. E. NAHRSTEDT ETAL 3,192,547

SCRUBBING' MACHINE WITH CLEANING ATTACHMENT THEREFOR Filed 001;. 25, 1963 INVENTORS. ROBERT E. NAHRSTEDT 8| lgByEORGE R. HICKERNELL ATTORNEYS United States Patent Robert E. Nahrstedt, 580 E. 213th St, Euclid, Ohio, and George R. Hickernell, 24562 Hilliard Blvd, Westlake,

Ohio

Filed Oct. 25, 1963, Set. No. 318,887 3 Claims. (Ci. 15-4) This invention relates to cleaning machines and more particularly to an attachment adapted to be used in conjunction with a floor scrubbing machine.

In the maintenance of public buildings, office buildings and commercial establishments as well as private homes, there are a multiplicity of fixtures and other items which require periodic cleaning. To accomplish this maintenance operation, there have been developed diverse lines of machines each adapted to perform a specific function. Thus, there have been developed floor scrubbing machines which accomplish the function of sanding and polishing floors and shampooing rugs. There also have been developed vacuum cleaners which accomplish the function of evacuating dust and debris. A further type of special machine is an upholstery cleaning machine which is usable in the maintenance and cleaning of upholstered furniture. Despite the existence of these three general types of machines, among others, there exists a large number of tasks which must be performed by hand. Some of these tasks, to enumerate a few, are the cleaning and scrubbing of walls, the cleaning of desk tops, the cleaning of wastebaskets and garbage pails, the polishing of furniture, and the cleaning of Stairways. Moreover, even with the existence of the above-mentioned machines, it has been necessary to invest a substantial amount of money in the purchase of several machines to perform several different tasks in the same room. Thus, although a floor scrubbing machine is adequate to clean the floor, there remain such jobs as cleaning the upholstery and polishing the items of furniture in the room so that it is necessary to have two machines in the room to accomplish these functions.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cleaning machine which is capable of performing a diversity of cleaning functions.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide an attachment for a floor scrubbing machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide an attachment for a floor scrubbing machine whereby the tasks ordinarily required to be performed in the maintenance of a building may be performed with a single machine.

Other and more specific objects will become apparent upon a complete reading of the description and claims.

,To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related objects, the invention contemplates a floor scrubbing machine which includes a solution tank for dispensing a cleaning solution. Incorporated in the scrubbing machine is a power-driven adapter for receiving a floor working tool such as a rotary brush, sandpaper or bufier. Driven by the power unit for the floor scrubbing device is a pump which is in fluid communication with the solution tank and which is connected to a portable hand unit with the portable unit being driven by a power train taken from the drive of the floor scrubber.

The foregoing objects and features are incorporated in an invention which consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail but one approved means of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means, however, constituting but one of the 3,192,547 Patented July 6, 1965 various ways in which the principles of the invention may be used.

In the drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the invention as it is incorporated in a floor scrubbing machine,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the portable hand unit used in the invention,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation in section showing the power transmission and pump,

FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate one preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates a conventional floor scrubbing machine which includes a frame or chassis 11 and handle 12. Secured to the chassis 111 is a pair of wheels 13. Mounted internally of the vertically rising housing 14 on the frame '11 is a motor 15 which drives a shaft 16 and adapter unit 17. The adapter unit 17 is designated to receive various floor working implements such as a rotary scrubbing brush 18, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Secured to the handle 12 is a solution tank or reservoir 19 which is connected by a fluid conduit 20 to the rotary brush 18 in a manner well known in the art. the tank 15 is used as a cleansing lather for jobs such as the shampooing of rugs. Y

With the elements of the machine above described, it is possible to perform tasks such as shampooing rugs or,

by replacing the brush 1% with other diverse attachments,

such operations as buifing, polishing, sanding, and waxing of floors may be accomplished. When, during the performance of any of these enumerated operations, it is desired to utilize the solution in the tank 19, the solution in the tank is delivered to the brush 18, or other attachment, by the gravity feed of the solution from the'tank. The flow of solution from the tank is controlled by a manually actuated valve, not shown.

It is obvious, in view of the size of the scrubbing'machine, that the machine is limited in its field of use and little more than a cleaning operation on the floor may be accomplished by such a machine. To broaden the scope of use of use of such a floor scrubbing machine beyond the realm of floor maintenance operations, there is provided an attachment which utilizes theexisting motor 35 and solution tank 19 on the floor scrubbing device. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 3, a shaft 22 is secured to the upper end 21 of the armature of the motor 15. The securement of the shaft 22 to the armature 21 may be effected by an adapter or other appropriate means. The shaft 2 2 includes a radial flange 23 and an'end 24 which is journalled in a bearing block 25 secured to one side wall 26 of a transmission housing. The shaft 22 projects through an opening 27 in the other side wall 28 of the housing.

Secured tothe shaft 22 by a key 29 is a gear 39 which is received on the shaft adjacent the flange 23 and is supported in axial position on the shaft 22 by fiange23 and a bearing ring 31. The gear, 36 meshes with a similar gear 32 which is secured by a key 33 to a shaft 34. The shaft 34 is journalled at opposite ends in bearing blocks 35 with bearing rings as securing the gear in axial position on the shaft internally of the housing. The shaft 34 includes a vertically extending power take-off stub 37 for a purpose hereinafter described.

The gear 32 meshes with a pinion 38 secured to a shaft 49. The shaft ll is journalled in bearing blocks 41 in a manner similar to the other shafts and includes bearing rings 42. The shaft it? includes a vertically depending extension 43cm which is secured by a pin 44 a bevel gear 'The solution in pinion 45 for rotation therewith. The pinion 45 meshes with a bevel gear 46 which is secured by a pin 47 to a power take-oil shaft 43 with the shaft 48 being journalled in a bearing 49 carried by a support bracket 50 secured to the lower surface of the plate 28.

Each of the gears 3t), 32, and 46 have an equal number of teeth. The pinions 33 and 45 likewise have an equal number of teeth. Thus, it may be seen that the angular velocity of the armature shaft 21 in the motor is equal to the angular velocity of the power take-off shafts 37 and 48. The angular velocity of the shaft 43, with the number of teeth on the pinion 38 being one-half the number of teeth on the other gears, is equal :to twice the velocity of the shafts 48, 3'7 and 22.

ecured to the depending end of the shaft 43 is the drive shaft 52 of a rotary pump 53. The rotary pump may be of a conventional design with a fluid inlet port 54 and an outlet port 55.

Reviewing the above-described elements, it is to be noted that the gear train comprising the transmission and the fluid pump are both supported by a common housing.

composed of the plates 26 and 28. The transmission is generally flat :in elevation view and is received on the housing 14 of the floor scrubbing machine such that the pump depends into the area between the handle 12 and the housing of the scrubbing machine. Any appropriate means may be utilized to stabilize the transmission and pump on the housing '14.

Turning to FIG. 3, it is to be noted that the take-off shaft 48 is generally in alignment with the longitudinal extent of the transmission housing. cated in FIG. 4, the particular orientation of the take-off shaft 48 is not critical and the shaft may be oriented .at any particular angle so that optimum convenience may be achieved, as for example, 48a, shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4.

The transmission and pump are related to the remainder of the floor scrubbing machine in that there is provided in the fluid line 29 a T connection 56 with a conduit 57 connecting the inlet port 54 of the pump 53 to the T 56. A selective valve may be utilized in the T connection 56 so that the fluid may be directed either to the pump 53 or :to the rotary brush 18. A conduit 58 is connected to the outlet port 55 of the pump 53 and extends to a portable hand unit 59. The hand unit 59 includes a handle portion 69 designed to be gripped by the operator and includes a head 61 adapted to receive various types of cleaning attachments such as a rotary brush 62.. The rotary brush 62 is driven by a flexible power cable 63 which is connected at one end to the handle 66 and through an appropriate gear mechanism, not illustrated, is connected to the brush 62. The other end of the flexible power cable is connected by an adapter 64 to one of the power take-off shafts 37 or 48, with shaft 37 being shown as utilized in FIG. 1. The adapter may be secured to the take-01f shafts by set screws so that it is a simple matter to disconnect the power cable from one take-off and attach it to the other take-off whenever it is so desired.

It is believed apparent that by providing a novel combination of an attachment for a floor scrubbing machine, the objects set forth have been fully accomplished. Thus, once the floor maintenance operation has been comp'leted, an operator need only attach the portable unit 59 to the transmission and pump as described above whereupon a multitude of additional operations may be performed without the necessity of a second machine. For example, it is possible to clean desk tops, upholstery, waste cans, walls and many other items not heretofore capable of being cleaned by a floor scrubbing machine. Whenever it is desirable to introduce a cleaning solution :0 the operation of the portable unit, the operator need only actuate a valve, schematically illustrated at 65 on the hand unit 59 whereupon the pump will deliver fluid or solution from the tank 19 to the rotary brush 62 However, as indi:

is imparted to the overall height of the floor scrubbing.

machine so that the machine still may be used in the same general area as was heretofore possible. It is within the contemplation of this invention, however, that the transmission and pump attachment may be oriented in a difierent manner and it is not our intention to be bound by the particular configuration and orientation of the unit here disclosed.

Moreover, the principles of the invention are not meant to be limited to a floor scrubbing machine since it is believed obvious that the novel combination of elements may be used with other machines such as a combination scrubbing and vacuuming machine.

For ease of description, the principles of the invention have been set forth in connection with but a single illustrated embodiment. It is not our intention that the illustrated embodiment nor the terminology employed in describing it be limiting inasmuch as variations in these may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention, but rather, it is our desire to be restricted only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A cleaning machine comprising;

a chassis;

vwheel means secured to said chassis for permitting movement of said chassis;

an upright handle secured to said chassis for controlling the movement of said chassis;

, means rotatably supported by said chassis and adapted to perform maintenance operations on a floor;

. a power unit on said chassis drivingly connected to said floor maintaining means;

a tank carried by said cleaning machine for movement therewitth and being adapted to contain a cleaning solution;

a hand uni-t including a shaft adapted to support various types of rotary elements, with said hand unit *being movable separate from said chassis;

and means interconnecting said hand unit with said power unit and said tank whereby rotative power and fluid may be transmitted to the rotary elements secured to said hand unit shaft.

2. An improved floor scrubbing machine comprising;

a chassis;

wheel means secured to said chassis for permitting movement of said chassis over a floor surface;

a upright handle secured to said chassis for controlling the movement of said chassis;

means rotatably supported by said chassis and adapted to receive .floor maintaining implements;

a power unit on said chassis drivingly connected to said implement receiving means;

said power unit including a vertically extending shaft;

a pump carried by said chassis below the vertically ex" tending upper end of said power unit shaft;

a tank carried by said handle and being adapted to,

contain a cleaning solution;

conduit means interconnecting said tank with said pump and said implement receiving means;

a hand unit including a shaft adapted to support various types of rotary elements with said hand unit being capable of manipulation by an operator separate from said chassis;

conduit means connecting said pump with said hand unit whereby fluid from said tank may be delivered to the rotary element on said unit,

and transmission means drivingly connecting said 5 pump and said hand unit shaft with said power unit shaft. 3. The combination of ciaim 2. wherein;

said transmission means comprises a housing supported on said chassis adjacent the upper end of said power unit shaft;

gear means received in said housing with a plurality of shafts secured to said gear means and projecting out of said housing;

one of said shafts projecting from said housing being secured to the vertically upper end of said power unit shaft;

another of said shafts projecting from said housing being connected to said pump.

6 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 596,329 12/97 Jones 1529 X 928,456 7/09 Johnson 15-50 X 1,673,529 6/28 Ponselle 15-50 X 1,929,345 10/33 Brown et. a1. 1550 X 2,680,260 6/54 Danielsson et a1. 15--50 2,843,866 7/58 Hancock 15-50 X FOREIGN PATENTS 449,735 9/27 Germany. 360,612 11/31 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CLEANING MACHINE COMPRISING; A CHASSIS; WHEEL MEANS SECURED TO SAID CHASSIS FOR PERMITTING MOVEMENT OF SAID CHASSIS; AN UPRIGHT HANDLE SECURED TO SAID CHASSIS FOR CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID CHASSIS; MEANS ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID CHASSIS AND ADAPTED TO PERFORM MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS ON A FLOOR; A POWER UNIT ON SAID CHASSIS DRIVINGLY CONNECTED IN SAID FLOOR MAINTAINING MEANS; A TANK CARRIED BY SAID CLEANING MACHINE FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH AND BEING ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A CLEANING SOLUTION; A HAND UNIT INCLUDING A SHAFT ADAPTED TO SUPPORT VARIOUS TYPES OF ROTARY ELEMENTS, WITH SAID HAND UNIT BEING MOVABLE SEPARATE FROM SAID CHASSIS; AND MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID HAND UNIT WITH SAID POWER UNIT AND SAID TANK WHEREBY ROTATIVE POWER AND FLUID MAY BE TRANSMITTED TO THE ROTARY ELEMENTS SECURED TO SAID HAND UNIT SHAFT. 